Hamirpur: The Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog, Hamirpur, has officially cancelled the recruitment for 11 Junior Engineer (JE) Civil posts in the electrical wing of the Forest Department. This decision follows discussions about the potential closure of the department’s electrical wing, marking the end of a recruitment process that had already been delayed for nearly two years due to a paper leak investigation.
Initially announced on May 26, 2022, by the now-dissolved Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission, the recruitment was part of a notification to fill 1,508 posts across multiple government departments, including the 11 JE Civil posts under postcode 970. A total of 8,616 candidates applied for these positions, with 7,177 applications found valid. However, only 5,524 candidates appeared for the written examination.
The recruitment process had reached the document verification stage when, in December 2022, a paper leak scandal emerged, stalling the declaration of results. Although the newly established Rajya Chayan Aayog has been working on resolving pending recruitment cases, the cabinet sub-committee has not granted permission to release results for postcode 970.
Amid discussions about shutting down the Forest Department’s electrical wing, the department requested the cancellation of the recruitment. After consulting the law department and obtaining government approval, the State Selection Commission officially denotified the recruitment.
Rajya Chayan Aayog has confirmed that the Forest Department has withdrawn the recruitment process. However, a decision regarding the refund of examination fees to the candidates remains pending. This cancellation leaves 36 candidates who had passed the written exam in uncertainty, with further developments contingent on the restructuring of the Forest Department and the future of its electrical wing.
